Research Intern, Frontier

a16z•New York, NY

6d•$4,500•Onsite

About The Position

Andreessen Horowitz’s Frontier research lab is a multidisciplinary lab connecting academic theory with industry practice. Its work spans crypto and other emerging technologies, including AI-enabled applications and scientific developments in materials, energy, and hardware. The lab conducts fundamental research and collaborates with portfolio companies on difficult technical and conceptual problems. Research interns learn from and collaborate with the firm’s investment and engineering teams. The internship is intended for students with strong technical backgrounds and an interest in emerging technologies. Potential areas include AI and machine learning, agentic commerce, cryptography, security, distributed computing, hardware design, economics, energy, materials science, biology, incentives, quantitative finance, market and mechanism design, foundations of computing, and pure mathematics, among others. Applicants may be undergraduate, graduate, or PhD students. The role is based in New York City and requires in-office presence. A typical schedule allocates about two-thirds of time to the intern’s own research, usually in collaboration with lab members and visitors, and one-third to portfolio-related problems. The internship runs June 1, 2027 through August 20, 2027, with a required residency of at least 10 and at most 12 weeks. Interns will typically make heavy use of the latest AI tools. The anticipated weekly rate depends on degree program: $4,500 for PhD students, $4,000 for master’s students, or $3,500 for undergraduates, plus a $500 weekly housing stipend. Actual starting pay may vary based on factors including experience, skills, and scope. Applicants should submit a resume or CV. Optional but recommended materials include a list of publications, blog posts, or other public content; social or professional links such as Twitter/X, GitHub, a personal website, or a public crypto wallet; and a research statement of no more than one page. One recommendation letter is required and a second is optional but recommended; recommenders should email letters to [email protected] with the applicant’s name in the subject line. Applicants should provide the names of their recommendation letter writers. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by 12 p.m. PT on November 20, 2026. The position requires access to information and technology subject to U.S. export controls. Applications are welcome from qualified candidates, including international applicants, subject to applicable work authorization requirements in the country where the position is based.

Requirements

Strong technical background and interest in emerging technologies.
Pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in a relevant field, such as computer science, economics, mathematics, operations research, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry, or biology.
Passionate, knowledgeable, and optimistic about science and technology.
Experience absorbing and producing fundamental research.
In-office presence in the New York City office is required.
Minimum residency of 10 weeks and maximum residency of 12 weeks.
One recommendation letter is required.
Must meet applicable work authorization requirements in the country where the position is based; the position requires eligibility under U.S. export control laws to receive restricted information and materials.

Nice To Haves

A second recommendation letter is optional but recommended.
A list of publications, blog posts, or other public content is optional but recommended.
A research statement (maximum one-page PDF) is optional but recommended.
Twitter/X, GitHub, a personal website, or a public crypto wallet may be provided as optional application materials.

Responsibilities

Pursue fundamental research on topics relevant to the firm.
Collaborate with a16z Frontier’s full-time researchers and other student interns.
Collaborate with portfolio companies on technical research problems.
Quickly develop expertise in emerging areas of science and technology.
Take full advantage of the latest generation of AI tools.
Contribute to blog posts, white papers, and other public expository content.
Meet with visitors from academia and industry and attend research seminars.